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ONLINECOLLECTION

The Black Bull, 1900

Leopold Museum,
Vienna
Oil on canvas
82×82 cm

Artists

  • Gustav Klimt

    (Baumgarten near Vienna/Vienna 1862–1918 Vienna)

Currently on display at OG4
This unusual motif of a bull dominating the entire depiction was created during Gustav Klimt’s (1862–1918) first stay in Litzlberg on the Attersee. A city person, the artist was evidently so impressed with the stables of the brewery inn and the bull named Martin that he thought the motif worthy of being captured on canvas. All corporeal and spatial elements appear muted by the work’s clayey coloring. The only source of light penetrating the dusky atmosphere is provided by the small stable window in the background admitting some rays of bright light.

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Object data

Artist/author
  • Gustav Klimt
Title
The Black Bull
Date
1900
Art movement
Art Nouveau
Category
Painting
Material​/technique
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
82×82 cm
Credit line
Private collection
Selection of Reference works
  • Wien 1900. Aufbruch in die Moderne, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Wipplinger, Wien 2019 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, ab 15.03.2019).
  • Gustav Klimt. Jahrhundertkünstler, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Wipplinger/Sandra Tretter, Wien 2018 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 22.06.2018–04.11.2018).
  • Klimt persönlich. Bilder - Briefe - Einblicke, hrsg. von Tobias G. Natter/Franz Smola, Wien 2012 (Ausst.-Kat. Leopold Museum, Wien, 24.02.2012–27.08.2012).
  • Tobias Natter: Gustav Klimt, Köln 2012.
  • Alfred Weidinger/Michaela Seiser u.a.: Gustav Klimt, München u.a. 2007.
  • Fritz Novotny/Johannes Dobai: Gustav Klimt, Salzburg 1967.
Catalogue raisonne
  • Natter 2012: 129
  • Weidinger/Seiser/Winkler 2007: 141
  • Novotny/Dobai 1967: 115
Keywords

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Provenance

Provenance research
Leopold Museum i

Emilie Flöge, Wien;
Therese Flöge, Seewalchen;
Gertrude Flöge, Seewalchen/Wien;
Eri Messner, Wels-Thalheim; (1)
Dr. Rudolf Leopold, Wien (bis 2010)

  1. Tobias Natter (Hg.), Gustav Klimt. Sämtliche Gemälde, Köln 2012, S. 572, Nr. 129

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